# Waze Let a Tiny Group Build the Map www.first1000.co publishes a public search API over its indexed pages; the guide is at https://www.first1000.co/agent-access. Source: https://www.first1000.co/blog/waze Source observed: 2026-09-21T01:48:35.198Z Last checked: 2026-09-21T01:48:35.198+00:00 Indexed: 2026-09-21T01:50:46.894+00:00 --- # Waze Let a Tiny Group Build the Map > Some products should let the first users build the missing supply. **First 1000 field note · Updated September 20, 2026** By Ali Abouelatta · Original case with Jacob Jolibois: February 28, 2023 ## Let the first users create the asset Waze is a navigation product whose early challenge was creating the map required for navigation. In 2006, useful map data was expensive and controlled by a small number of companies. Roads, intersections, speed limits, GPS data, lane details, stop signs, and traffic lights all had to exist before routing was useful. Waze began in Israel with the goal of getting people from point A to point B. It started with a blank map and recruited mapping enthusiasts to fill it. While driving, a contributor’s location icon became a road roller. Contributors later used a desktop editor to name roads, adjust geometry, and connect intersections. The earliest users were motivated contributors who enjoyed building the asset future users would need. Products dependent on a hard-to-create asset may need to expose the unfinished work instead of hiding it. ## Build a ladder for different kinds of users The case describes a three-level participation framework: - **First 1 percent:** mapping experts who helped create the map. - **Next 9 percent:** enthusiasts willing to tolerate a buggy product if they could contribute and earn points or virtual goods. - **Remaining 90 percent:** users who could arrive after the product was useful enough to navigate with. These percentages are a framework, not a measured Waze funnel. Different users need different reasons to participate: ownership or mastery for creators, recognition, points, badges, or status for enthusiasts, and finished utility for most people. Waze used gamification for the middle group because intrinsic motivation alone was not enough to sustain the work. ## Make an unfinished product feel social Waze needed more than a base map. It needed traffic patterns, route speeds, and reports about accidents, police, hazards, gas prices, and road closures. These signals became more useful as more people drove the same roads. Waze sometimes showed reports from the nearest ten users even when they were far away. This was not geographically precise, but it made drivers feel that other people were using the system. Community products may need to show enough evidence that the community exists, even when some information is less relevant. Historical events described in the case include Los Angeles’s **2011 “Carmageddon”** closure, a **40 percent** rise in Waze’s user count to **50 million** after Apple Maps launched in 2012 and drew criticism, and Google’s reported **$1.1–$1.3 billion** acquisition of Waze in 2013. These are historical figures, not current company metrics. ## The founder decision If users must create value for other users, ask: 1. What asset is missing before the product can work? Name the map, catalog, dataset, or community. 2. Who are the first 1 percent? Give them a way to build the asset and feel ownership. 3. What does the next 9 percent get? Offer recognition, status, rewards, or a smaller contribution that matters. 4. What will the 90 percent feel when they arrive? Utility is necessary, but a sense of other people can make an early network feel alive. ## The takeaway Waze’s first users were the map. The company made their contribution legible and rewarding, then made it useful to everyone else. ## Sources and original research - [Original First 1000 case: 🚗 Waze, February 28, 2023](https://first1000.substack.com/p/waze) The original issue includes Jacob’s product deep dive. Its historical mapping, participation framework, reporting examples, and acquisition figures supply the information above; the contribution ladder is Ali’s adaptation. Updated September 20, 2026. Based on original First 1000 reporting and the source listed above. --- [Read this page’s summary](https://www.first1000.co/api/public/v1/page-tldr?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.first1000.co%2Fblog%2Fwaze&trace=t_dae5763819f4) ## Ask a follow-up about this page Need a more specific answer? Ask the exact question you have. It returns a fresh, cited answer from www.first1000.co’s knowledge base. No account or API key required. Open this URL with your own question, URL-encoded. Only q is required. 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